1. Field Of The Invention
This invention is directed to manual mechanical weeders for extracting weeds or the like from the ground in which the operator may stand, squat or be prone while extracting the weed.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Extracting weeds or other unwanted vegetative growth from garden or lawn areas has been an undesirable task for most persons. Weeds by definition may be any vegetative growth that is not consistent with the desired appearance of the garden or lawn area, and weeds are characterized by most gardeners as a vegetative growth which requires constant attention if they are to be eradicated. Weeding can be done by merely removing the surface and visible portion of the weed, but most gardeners know that removing the visible portion of a weed without removing the root portion will only temporarily remove the evidence of the weed because the roots will send up new surface growth in a very short time. To be completely effective in weed removal it is desirable to get as much of the root of the weed as possible. To accomplish such a weed removal operation it is necessary to penetrate the ground around the weed and to engage the weed at it subsurface portion. Desirably the weed and its entire root should be removed to accomplish a completely successful weed removal operation.
Hand operated mechanical weeders for lawns, gardens, and the like are known in the art, for example:
(a) there are known tools that have a flat fishtailed or claw-shaped blade for cutting or catching the weed root, and a straight or gently curved, elongated shank with an axially extending handle;
(b) there are tools having an off-set blade with a rounded central portion capable of cutting a divot in the soil;
(c) there are tools that have a zig-zag, double pointed blade with a step portion and a rounded heel portion forming a fulcrum;
(d) and there are sickle type tools that merely remove the surface position of a weed.
Relevant patents known to me are; Kulesh, U.S. Pat. No. 2,373,898, issued Apr. 17, 1945; Sapia, U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,674, issued Dec. 27, 1966; and Long, U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,226, issued Nov. 12, 1974.
This art does not teach or suggest a weeder tool having a blade with a forked tip with a serrated prong extending through the center of the forked tip at its weed engaging end, and an attachment providing depth control and a fulcrum for the weed extracting operation.
Sapia provides a straight two edged sickle which is swung like a golf club, and the weed root pulling aspect of his tool is not considered in accommodating the sickle function of the tool. The Sapia tool does not relate to my invention.
Kulesh discloses a multiple-bend, zig-zag blade with a weed receiving throat in a tool for use as a weeder or a cultivator. With this tool the weed is grasped in the throat of the tool just below the foliage of the weed and the weed is extracted by a fulcrum action lifting the weed being held in the throat.
Long has an offset blade that cuts a divot and pushes the weed and the divot up and out of the ground. This tool requires replacement of the divot. Divot removing tools make the weeding process more difficult in that the weed must be removed from the divot and the divot replaced if the weeded area is to be retuned to an attractive appearance.